Sefton Council

The following is a list of Sefton Council services that businesses may need to contact. If the department you need is not listed then please contact us and we will try our best to help you.

Sefton@Work

Sefton@Work offer a range of job-related services for individuals and for businesses. They act as an intermediary between companies that need support to recruit new staff, this support can include advertising, managing applications and pre-screening applicants.

Find out more about Sefton@Work on their website

Business Rates

Business Rates are a local tax charged on most non-domestic (commercial) properties. It is also known as National Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR). They are administered and collected by local authorities; however, the amount you pay is set by Central Government. Any property that is not intended for use as somebody’s residence will be liable for Business Rates.  Shops, offices, factories, pubs and warehouses are some examples.

Visit Sefton Council’s Business Rates page for more information

Food hygiene

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme encourages consumers to make informed choices about the places where they eat or buy food by looking at the results of food hygiene inspections. Food hygiene ratings are published by the Food Standards Agency and businesses should display stickers showing their ratings so that consumers can easily see them.

Visit Sefton Council’s Food Hygiene page for more information

Commercial Property

There are a wide range of industrial and commercial sites, premises, offices, retail and other business opportunities located in Sefton. These provide accommodation to meet almost every need and are either for commercial lease, rent or sale.

Visit Sefton Council’s Commercial Property page for more information

Licensing and Registration

There are numerous licenses that businesses may need to apply for, including animal welfare licenses, landlord licenses, taxi licensing, Licensing Act 2003 (alcohol) and environmental permits.

Further information on all the licenses available and how to apply can be found on Sefton Council’s Licensing & registration page

Tenders and working with the Council

 Sefton Council buys a wide range of goods, works and services to enable the delivery of an effective service for the residents of Sefton and as this is public money, we will adhere to UK Procurement law and our own Contract Procedure Rules. Procurement rules and laws are established to ensure there is no discrimination to bidders and there is equal treatment of all potential bidders/suppliers through fair competition. The current regulations are known as the Procurement Act 2023. This will change how public procurement is carried out. The Act aims to improve how supplies, services and works are procured for the public sector.

Find out more about tenders and procurement on Sefton Council’s tender & contracts page

Planning & Building Control

If you want to build, alter and/or extend a building you may need to apply for planning permission and/or apply for building regulations approval.  Consent may also be required for advertising, altering a listed building, or changing the use of land or buildings.

More information can be found on Sefton Council’s planning & building control page

Highways

Businesses may need to contact the highways department for issues such as parking permit schemes and pavement licenses.

More information can be found on Sefton Council’s Highways page

Green Sefton

Green Sefton is the service responsible for helping to keep Sefton a clean, green and beautiful borough, working with partners and volunteers to manage Sefton’s coast, countryside, parks and greenspaces. 

More information on Green Sefton

Active Workforce

Sefton Council’s Active Workforce team aims to improve the health and wellbeing of your employees. Benefits to joining Active Workforce include reduced absenteeism, reduced workplace accidents & injuries, improving your corporate image, healthier employees and much more.

Find out more including how to join the scheme on the active workforce webpage

Commercial waste

Commercial waste collection services are available from Sefton Council to help businesses meet their responsibilities to dispose of waste, as required by legislation.

Find out more about commercial waste services for your businesses

Southport Business Recovery  

Following the tragic incident in Southport on 29th July 2024, a Southport Recovery Team has been established to provide support for both residents and businesses.

Visit the Southport Together page for more information on the support available

The above list is not exhaustive, to find out more about all Sefton Council’s services please the Sefton Council website